


my long lost dream

by jedormis (cettevieestbien)



Series: semi/modern stucky [9]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adoption, Alpha!Bucky, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Children, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Fluff, Forced adoption, Hurt/Comfort, Letters, Long Lost Family (the tv show), Long Lost/Secret Relatives, M/M, Mentions of Cancer, Minor Character Death, Mpreg, Not Beta Read, Omega!Steve, Spoiler: it's not Sarah, Teen Pregnancy, The Author Regrets Everything, True Mates, Unplanned Pregnancy, underage applies to first time heats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-17
Updated: 2016-07-17
Packaged: 2018-07-24 12:13:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7507879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cettevieestbien/pseuds/jedormis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve goes into heat when he's fifteen, and Bucky is sixteen. They mate, and he gets pregnant, but Bucky's father forces them to give the baby up.</p><p>Years later, now married, they're reached out to by a show aiming to connect families split apart by adoption.</p>
            </blockquote>





	my long lost dream

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first a/b/o fic, so bare with me guys! This was inspired by several different fics, the one where Steve and Peggy have a son named Joey, the one where Steve and Bucky leave behind a daughter, and the tumblr page, ohmyomegasteveandalphabucky. Probably more inspiration but shrug. I actually wrote this whole thing in one day like I am so proud of myself....
> 
> Anyway, here is your guide to my a/b/o verse:
> 
> Heat: comes every two months-ish, is between 5-7 days, during puberty heat is 2-3 days of sex and 3-4 days other stuff, which includes feelings of motherhood, wanting to nest, and getting extremely protective of the undesignated. 
> 
> Scent: everyone has their own, it's made up of both parents' scents and incorporates other scents to make a unique one. Scent glands are matured during puberty, and make it easier for one to scent/put off their scent. It gets extremely potent during first rut or heat, though for betas, the parent will have to kick start the scent process by aggressively scenting their child.
> 
> Pregnancy: lasts nine months, only happens in female betas and omegas and male omegas. Depending on compatibility, the risk of miscarriage is heightened or lowered. Usually only happens during synced heats/ruts, though they can be achieved outside of that, e.g. when they aren't synced, but one happens. Beta's, if mated to an alpha, can get pregnant during rut, and beta's mated with beta's can get pregnant at any time.

**October 15, 1994**

The little boy is tiny in Steve’s arms, but Bucky thinks they make the prettiest pair he’s ever seen. The look of adoration on Steve’s face says he feels the same.

It’s a shame they won’t get to keep him.

They name him Joseph Alexander Barnes, even though when he gets adopted, his name will more than likely be changed.

Joey has Bucky’s hair, and Steve’s eyes. He’d been warned not to get attached, but he’ll never forget this little boy’s face, how his nose is all Bucky’s. He drags his fingers over his pup’s hair, touches his little hands and feet. Bucky would sit for hours with his body between Steve’s legs, talking to Joey and feeling him respond to his voice.

It’s more than a damn shame, and it makes Bucky’s blood boil that his father is doing this.

Steve feeds him once, and Bucky only gets to hold him for a few minutes before a nurse - not Sarah - tells them he’s got to get going. (Bucky can’t tell if it’s a good thing they didn’t get to see him for long - no time to imprint, his father told him. But it’s not enough time for him to get to just exist with his future mate and their pup.)

Steve cries and tries to keep him. Hell, if it was up to Bucky, they would. But it’s not their choice, so little Joey gets taken away from them for good.

Bucky takes Steve to his and his Ma’s home a few days later, and they have such a bad fight that he gets kicked out. He has to walk home, and face his dad, who’s pissed, and his mom, who won’t stop crying, and his sister, who’s trying to make it another day.

It’s a shit way to end a shit week.

* * *

 

**Late September, 2009**

Joseph, growing up, knows he’s adopted. He has a different scent from everyone else in the house, and his dark hair and blue eyes contrast with their light hair and hazel eyes. He asks his parents relentlessly about where he really came from. He even asks his older sister and brother, but they won’t budge.

Eventually, his parents sit him down, and tell him, point blank, “your parents were teenagers when they had you.” He gapes for a moment, surprised. He’s always thought of them as young adults, younger than his adoptive parents. His dad continues, “they were a 17 year old alpha and a 16 year old omega. They named you Joseph Alexander Barnes, but obviously, your name is now Joseph Thomas Maxwell. We kept your first name because we thought you would like to have some connection to them.”

His mother tells him, “they were just too young to take care of you, Joe.” She shares a long look with his dad, and continues, gently, “we don’t believe they wanted to give you up, Joe.”

He shoots to his feet at that. He’d gotten more information from this one talk alone than he’d ever hoped for, but that wasn’t something his mind had ever crossed over. It takes him seconds to go from the living room to his bedroom, another second to lock the door and fall onto his bed, face first.

He doesn’t come out for hours, and when he does, they’re waiting for him in the kitchen. His mom hands him a blanket that had been knitted, and his dad hands him a picture. It shows a baby in the arms of a skinny blonde guy, with a dark haired guy sitting half on the bed, half off. On the back, it says, _picture taken by grandma Sarah, October 15, 1994. Steve is the one holding Joseph Alexander, while Bucky looks on at his future mate and child._

He admits, he cries. He has one picture of his parents, one picture of himself on his birth date. He can see where he got his hair, and his eyes, now. He can see where his smile comes from. It’s a little overwhelming.

His dad, a little teary eyed himself, reveals, “we were waiting for your 18th birthday to give you this, but we thought you might need it now. Consider it an early birthday present.”

He doesn’t respond, just gives them thankful looks. He can see the youth in his parents, see how “Bucky” still has baby fat in his cheeks. It’s the best present he’s ever gotten.

He wants to go look at the picture until he remembers every centimeter of it, but he has one last question to ask.

“Did they keep in contact?” He tries to meet their eyes, but finds he can’t.

His mother sighs apologetically. “They tried to, Joe. The people at the agency said your grandfather, George, changed the records so they couldn’t. He seems to be the reason you were given up and not kept in contact.”

He doesn’t respond again, feeling his chin quiver. He has his omega father’s chin, he can see it now. “Well, thanks. I’m gonna - “ and he darts back to his room, leaving the sound of his voice breaking in the kitchen.

* * *

 

**Late September, 2009**

“Elizabeth, come on! We gotta go, or we’re both going to be late!”

“I'm coming, Dad! Give me a minute!”

“You don’t have a minute. If you’re not in the car in t-minus 30 seconds, I’m leaving you here!”

“Fine!” Elizabeth stomps down the steps, blonde hair done up for nerd day in two, mismatched pigtails. Bucky raises an eyebrow at the glasses, Steve’s old pair, which have tape on the bridge. She passes him with her tongue sticking out, grabs her bag and an apple, and calls as she leaves the doorway, “now you’re making us late, dad.”

Steve grins, coming downstairs and giving Bucky a goodbye kiss. “She’s got you there, Buck.”

“Ha ha,” he deadpans, following their eldest daughter to his car. “Make sure you tell me if you feel any worse, okay, Stevie?” He requests, thinking back on Steve’s newest bout of illness.

Steve nods, gives him another kiss, and pushes him out the door. “Have a good day at work!” Bucky waving his hand the way he does every morning is the last Steve sees of him before he and Elizabeth leave.

He goes to the kitchen and nibbles on a cracker while checking his email, thinking his stomach couldn’t possibly get upset over Ritz. Luckily, he’s right.

Steve, half an hour later, follows the routine Bucky and Elizabeth had set up, calling for Sarah and Robert to come downstairs for their breakfast and so Steve could style their hair.

Robert comes down first, dark hair and grey eyes showing sleep. His head thunks on the counter next to his bowl of cereal immediately. He isn’t even dressed.

Sarah, however, only needs her dark hair braided, and she’s presentable. She eats while Steve does her hair. She helpfully pokes Robert awake, and doesn’t even say anything about the baleful glare she gets in return.

“Eat, Robby. You aren’t dressed yet, so you’ll have to rush.”

“I don’t wanna go to school today,” he whines, pulling the blanket he brought down tighter around him. Steve has a very vivid memory of Bucky doing the same thing when he got the flu at age 11.

Steve puts the hair tie at the bottom of Sarah’s braid, and moves over to check Robert’s temperature.

Sure enough, he’s burning up.

“Okay, buddy, no school for you today. Sarah, will you be okay taking the bus? Your brother is sick.”

“Yeah Papa,” she says, sweetly shooting her brother a worried look.

“Okay, well, get your bag. It’ll be here soon.”

She runs upstairs, singing a song from Tarzan, her favorite movie.

“Papa?”

“Yes, Robby?” He turns to his son, simultaneously trying to make sure Sarah doesn’t trip and Robby doesn’t need help with anything. When he sees his son, though, he’s crying, fat tears falling down his face.

“I want Daddy,” he wails. Steve rushes over and pulls him up off his chair, pulling him into a hug. He sniffles into Steve’s neck and gets snot all over Bucky’s mating bite.

Steve slowly twists, trying to soothe him by dancing and humming a lullaby. Obviously, Bucky had always been much better at calming their children this way than Steve, but Robert still quieted down while Steve held him.

With one available hand, he texts Tony and asks if Bucky could have a short break to call him. Tony doesn’t respond, but the phone still rings.

“What’s going on? Are you getting sicker, Stevie?” Bucky sounds like he always does when he goes to work: rough around the edges and exhausted. Sometimes, like today, he has to work on cars, while other days, he has to work on contracts. Both are boring as hell, according to Bucky, even when the car is a real fixer-upper. Often, he boasts that he’s so good with cars, he could take over Tony’s job.

“No, it’s not me. Robby wanted to talk to his Daddy,” he says, putting as much emphasis on daddy as he could. None of their children called him Daddy unless they were sick or mostly asleep. “I’m gonna put it on speakerphone, okay?”

Neither boy responds, so Steve moves to the chair in the living room and sets the phone on the arm rest. He presses the button, and when Robby sees that, he says plaintively, “Daddy?”

Now that Steve’s paying attention, his can hear how his son’s nose is stuffy, and see how his eyes are watery.

“Oh, buddy. Are you sick?” Bucky’s voice takes on the tone of worried parent that Steve fallen in love with when they found out Joseph was a late bloomer in the womb. Bucky had always been so attentive through each pregnancy, more so than was common among alphas.

Robby nods and quietly responds, “mm-hmm.”

“So I bet no school for you today?” He doesn’t wait for Robby to answer before continuing, “Papa is feeling sick, too. He isn’t going to work today, so maybe you guys could have some fun without me and your sisters there.”

Sarah takes that moment to come downstairs. Robby briefly perks up at the thought of no school and all day with Papa, and tells Bucky about all the stuff they could do.

Sarah goes straight to Steve, though, giving him a peck on the cheek. “Are you talking to Dad?”

“Yep,” Steve says, butting into Robby and Bucky’s conversation. “Sarah’s going to school now, guys, say bye.”

Robby, who usually is very big on hugs from his sister, waves glumly and blows her a kiss. She cheekily pretends to grab it and send him one back.

Bucky croons, “love you, sweetheart.”

She grins, “you can’t see it, but I’m blowing you a kiss. Love you, Dad! Love you Papa! Love you Robby!”

And then she goes out the door to the chorus of Steve and Robby’s _love you_ ’s. Luckily, the bus is right out front, so he doesn’t have to walk her to the next stop, or make sure she gets on the bus fine.

He let Robby and Bucky talk for another few minutes before he told the boys Robby had to go lay down. While he walked upstairs, he kept Bucky on the line. He has Robby back in bed quickly.

He nearly jumps down the stairs, trying to catch Bucky before he has to go. He turns off speakerphone, and asks, “do you think I should take him to the doctor? Today, they’re taking walk-ins….”

Bucky sighs, audibly rubbing his fingers over his eyebrows. “Yeah, take him. Won’t hurt anything, and maybe you could get checked on, too.”

“I’m not that sick, Buck.”

“I know that, but the last time you got sick exclusively in the morning, you were pregnant. We need to know for sure if this is that or not, okay? Plus,” he simpers, “it’ll make me feel better to know what’s going on.”

“I’m fairly sure I’m not pregnant, Bucky. During the last heat, you weren’t in rut, and we used a condom.”

“Well, you know what they say about extremely compatible bond-mates who’ve been together forever….”

“Bucky.”

“Okay, okay. Just, go to the doctor, explain what’s going on with you and Robby, and see if it’s connected.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s just food poisoning for me, and a cold of some kind for Robby.”

“Okay, well, if you’re right, you get to say I told you so.”

“And if you’re right?”

“I get cuddles whenever I want.”

Steve sighs. “Alright, Buck. Go back to work. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Stevie. I’ll see you tonight, and keep me posted about Robby. Tony won’t care if I text if he’s sick.”

“Okay, will do. Bye.”

“Bye bye.”

 

 

 

 

Robby, the doctor tells him, has a sinus infection. He gives him medicine and a doctor’s note for school. Steve, grudgingly, tells him about his own symptoms, asking if they’re related.

His Ma used to get sinus headaches, but it’s been years since she had one, so he’s forgotten all about them.

The doctor tells him there’s no connection, and he’s probably pregnant. They do some blood work, and he’s told he’ll be informed soon on what it is.

Steve thanks him, and takes Robby back home.

 

 

 

 

A week later, Robby’s back in perfect health, but Steve is feeling worse. He’s been getting sicker in the morning, and getting sick at random times of the day based on smells. Bucky insists he’s expecting, says he can smell a difference in Steve’s scent. Steve tells him it’s probably the puke.

But the blood work comes, and tells them both what Bucky already knew and what Steve was denying; he’s pregnant. He not sure how it’s even possible, since his heat had been one where Bucky’s rut didn’t sync up with it, and they’d used condoms.

“Must’ve had a hole,” Bucky tries to placate him. When Steve saw the paper, he ran straight to the bathroom, where Bucky followed him. His hands are shaking, still holding the paper. He’s not upset that he’s pregnant again, not really. He’s always wanted to give Bucky a small army of children.

He’s just upset because of his hormones. And because Joseph’s birthday is coming up, and he doesn’t know if he’ll have the heart to be able to celebrate it.

Bucky rubs his back, soothing him as best as he can. His mind is on Joseph, too, but for different reasons.

Quietly, he reaches out to Steve, “I know this baby was unexpected, and I know that we’re getting older. I also know that you seem to not want the baby, so if you want, we can… not keep it. We can give it up for adoption, or you could get an abortion….”

Bucky hates thinking about it, but his dad always taught him to think of it like this: the baby _is_ his, and he does have claim to it, but there’s one part of him in a body that belongs to someone else. One part can’t fight a whole bunch of other parts, can’t make any decisions unless the body wants it to. So, even though that’s his baby, his pup, it’s not, ultimately, his decision. It’ll hurt him, of course, if Steve gets an abortion, and it’ll hurt everyone, including the kids, if he puts the baby up for adoption. It’s Steve choice, though, and he’ll respect it.

Steve sniffles, lets out a quiet sob. He pushes his face into Bucky’s neck, hiccuping, “I wanna keep it, Bucky. That’s not why I’m crying.”

Bucky feels like he could faint with relief. He keeps his hand on Steve’s back, still making soothing motions. “Well, why are you crying then?”

“Joey’s birthday is this month, and I don’t know if I can celebrate it when I’m pregnant.”

“Hey, we’ll be okay. We’ve done it before, we’ll do it again.”

Steve gives a hitching laugh. “We’re getting too old to have any more kids.”

“I meant with this one, punk,” he says, gently resting his hand on Steve’s stomach.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.” After a long moment, Bucky asks, “when do you want to tell the kids?”

“Let me clean myself up, and we can do it now. Get them all together, please.”

Bucky responds, “sure,” getting up and hearing his knees crack. He and Steve share a look, both thinking, _we’re getting old_.

He leaves the bathroom to round up their kids, with a small smile sent Steve’s way.

Elizabeth goes downstairs willingly, only because Bucky bribes her with cookie cake. Sarah hears the word _news_ , and freaks out, while Robby goes downstairs easily. Bucky holds Sarah as he takes her downstairs, promising her it’s nothing bad.

Sarah’s the only one who got his Mom’s anxiety, thank god. He already knows how to help her with it, considering he still dealt with it himself. Even though she’s getting too big for it, he’ll hold her sometimes, knowing it’s the easiest way to calm her down. None of their kids - except Joseph, but he and Steve will probably never know who he took after - have presented yet, but he and Steve’s scents still soothe them, even with their unmatured scent glands.

He sets her on the couch in her usual spot next to Elizabeth. He claps his hands together, sitting on the coffee table. “We’re just waiting for Papa to come downstairs, then we’ll tell you the news. And like I told Sarah, it’s nothing to worry about. It’s good news.”

Steve comes down then, and takes in his kids’ faces. Elizabeth mostly looks like she wants to know the news so she can go back to her room. Sarah, unsurprisingly, looks upset. Robby just looks from person to person, trying to figure it out on his own.

He takes a page out of Bucky’s book, and sits next to him on the coffee table. Luckily, Tony reinforced it a long time ago, or it would have broken under them.

He thinks back to when Sam and Natasha told their oldest about how Sam was pregnant again. They’d had to wait until the first trimester was over, because they aren’t extremely compatible. He and Bucky are, and they’d been told during Joseph’s pregnancy that they would never miscarry. They’d told Elizabeth right after they found out, and both girls had been there when Steve went to the doctor and came home with a sonogram. He and Bucky are fortunate that they don’t have to worry about that possibility.

“Well, kids, your dad and I - “ He pauses and starts over, aiming this part at the younger two. “So you know how me and your dad are an alpha and an omega, and sometimes, you have to go stay with Grandma Sarah, because of my heat?” They nod, while Elizabeth gives them a wide eyed look. Bucky winks at her, and her mouth drops open. “Well, the last time I had a heat, your dad and I… made a baby.”

Sarah shrieks, “you’re gonna have a new baby?” All of her anxiety is gone, washed away by the same awe she showed when they told her about Robby.

Robby, for his part, looks unbelievably excited. Usually, he’s the most laid back of their children, and doesn’t emote nearly as much as the girls. “I’m gonna be a big brother?”

Before either can answer the two questions they’d been asked, Elizabeth pulls them into a hug. She squeals in their ears about how she’s _so excited, oh my god_.

It’s arguably one of the best days of their lives.

* * *

 

**Early February, 2010**

Elizabeth presents as an omega at the same time that Steve finds out they’re having their first set of twins. He gets much sicker this time around, and his boss, Charles Xavier, tells him he’s on maternal leave, paid, since he’s such a good teacher.

Bucky, ultimately, is pulled in several directions. He has to help Steve with the morning sickness, somehow help Elizabeth through her heat - luckily, the rough part is only a few days and dealt with the usual supplies - and has to get the younger kids to school, all while going to work.

Steve tries his absolute best to help, making Elizabeth a nest, and showing her how to keep the walls up. He still cooks, and makes the kids and Bucky their lunches, but the smell will sometimes force him to the bathroom. Thank god Robby is eight, otherwise he’d freak out thinking Steve is dying. Sarah had thought so, but she’d been turning two, not nine.

Bucky comes home every night exhausted. He and Steve put the kids through their baths, and help Elizabeth come to terms with her designation. At night, they share a shower and he wraps himself around Steve and their babies. His own father wasn’t much interested in him and his sister, not unless someone was watching him interact with them. Bucky hated that, so he’s always tried to be different.

With Joseph, he’d done his best to help Steve get through school and pregnancy. With Elizabeth, he hadn’t been there, he’d been in the Middle East, but he’d come home and let Steve get sleep. With Sarah, he’d talked to her in Steve’s womb every day. With Robby, he’d gone out and catered to Steve’s every craving. With his twins, he’s just trying to make sure the house stays afloat.

Plus, he’s always been the father that takes the most comfort in his pup’s scents. He loves cuddling. Sarah and Robby have also taken to cuddling - and talking to the bump. He and Steve tell them that they don’t have ears yet, and can’t hear them, but hell, it doesn’t stop Bucky, so why would it stop his kids?

Of course, when everyone is in bed, Steve and Bucky talk about Joey. The other kids know about him, know that’s why they don’t talk to their only grandpa, know that their parents miss him. They don’t know about the long fantasies they have, where they got to keep Joey, got to raise him. It’s hard enough to talk about him alone, at all, much less around their other kids, who got the chance he never did.

* * *

 

 **Mid April, 2010**  

Joseph goes into rut in the most inopportune time - when he’s at the doctor’s office, a year and a half too late. The worst thing is, the doctor had been about to declare him a beta, which would’ve forced the hand of the adoption agency into contacting his parents.

But no, he takes after Bucky - it’s gotten easier to call him that without the quotes, like he doesn’t exist, like he’s made up - and he’s an alpha. The rut is the bad kind he’s heard horror stories of - all he wants to do is matebreedknot. He won’t eat, he won’t sleep.

In all actuality, it’s a good thing he starts at the doctor's’ office. They give him a heat-rut room, and have specially trained betas come in to force-feed him, and give him sedatives to make him sleep.

He gets asked if he knows if his alpha father’s rut was this bad - they clearly know his adopted dad is a beta, and know his birth father was an alpha, but they can’t realize he has no idea. He just growls, and they back out.

When he comes home, he’s exhausted. He has a stack of homework to do, and enough text messages to blow up both his phone and his head. Some people make fun of him in the texts, while the rest of the football team congratulate him. His adopted aunts and uncles send him reassuring words, and the group chat for the group project at school is full of teasing and pissed off messages.

He turns his phone off.

* * *

 

**Early May, 2016**

Bucky answers the phone, completely expecting Sam and Natasha. Instead, it’s some guy asking for a Steve Barnes.

“Sorry, he isn’t home right now. Can I take a message?”

Instead of answering, the guy asks, “then who are you?”

Bucky scowls. “I’m Bucky Barnes, his husband and mate.”

“Oh, well, I can ask you this question, too. In 1994, did you and your husband have a child named Joseph Alexander Barnes?”

Bucky freezes. “Why? If my dad put you up to this….”

“No, no, it’s just, I’m part of a show that connects people who are looking for family members, and Joseph said his parents names were Bucky and Steve Barnes. Is that you, or do I have the wrong Bucky Barnes?”

Bucky sighs deeply. “Yeah, me and Steve had him when we were teenagers.”

“So, to clarify, you are Joseph Alexander Barnes’ father?”

“Yes.”

“Now, the real question is, would you like to meet him?”

 

 

 

 

It’s actually a lot more difficult than that. They had to find a time for filming, because he’d written them a letter and they wanted Steve and Bucky to read it while being filmed, plus Elizabeth and Sarah were only free at the same time that Robby wasn’t.

So, it takes a while, but eventually, all of the kids are out of the house, and Steve and Bucky are left alone with the host and a camera crew.

The letter isn't long, but it's emotional. Bucky reads it aloud for the camera and Steve.

_Dear Steve and Bucky,_

_I feel like I should call you dad and dad. Maybe you go by different names - all I've been given so far is a picture of you and your other kids. I feel like you can't both go by dad…._

_I'm rambling, sorry. I'll get right into it._

_I have dark hair, and blue eyes. I presented as an alpha when I was almost sixteen, and I’ve been told I smell like “science” and paint, with chocolate and spices mixed in. Weird combination, I know._

_I've always known I was adopted. When I was 15, I asked my adoptive parents about you. All they could say was that you were teenagers, barely any older than I was, and that they suspected that you were forced to give me up._

_I've always wanted to believe that to be true. Sometimes it makes sense; I had one picture of you for the longest time, that showed the three of us when I was born. You both looked like you were excited to be parents, but I was still given up._

_Hearing I have siblings was and is a crazy feeling. It makes me being given up seem weird, but then, you WERE just kids. My girlfriend is expecting right now, actually. I can’t imagine what it would be like if we were still in highschool…._

_Anyway, I guess I'm wondering what happened, why I was given up. And I would like to know more about my siblings, too. My other question is: how much interaction do you both get with me before I was taken to the orphanage?_

_I hope we can all meet each other soon._

_Joe (Joseph Thomas Maxwell, or as you knew me, Joseph Alexander Barnes)_

Steve doesn't cry, but Bucky sure does tear up. He sent a picture with the letter, and that’s what does them in.

They decide immediately to write him back.

Bucky’s says this:

_Dear Joe (can I call you Joey? That’s what your nickname was from the moment we decided on your name),_

_Steve and I meet when we were kids. He was a late bloomer like you, didn’t come into his omega designation until he was fifteen. I presented as an alpha the day after I turned thirteen, so when he went into heat, I was there. We had you when Steve had just turned sixteen and I’d been seventeen for a while (our birthdays are July 4, 1978 and March 10, 1977). We did want to keep you, but my father, your grandpa George, felt it would be unacceptable. Steve and I weren’t mated when you were born, so he felt everything we’d done together was improper._

_Basically, he didn’t “count” you as Steve and I’s kid, whereas he counts your brothers and sisters, because we had them when we were mated. You can imagine why he and I aren’t on speaking terms anymore._

_Steve’ll tell you more about your siblings in his letter. We decided on me telling you about what time we had together._

_We found out Steve was pregnant immediately. His heat went away within three days - there wasn’t the follow up that should’ve been there. He was sent to the doctor, and voila, you came into our lives._

_We were still in highschool, and we didn’t share any classes, but if I saw him, I would crowd him up against the lockers, or sit by him at lunch. A lot of alphas don’t like the scent of their pups on their beta or omega, but I love it. I loved it, then, too. You made me and Steve feel like a family, and that’s a present I’ll never be able to repay you for._

_When we found out you were a boy, we went through a lot of names, but chose Joseph Alexander because Joseph was Steve’s father’s name, and Alexander was a nice name that was very popular. Tell your adoptive parents we’re grateful they let you keep our name for you, please._

_As for when you were born, Steve was small, not really made to have children. He’s since hit a growth spurt, but sometimes he gets really sick, like he did right after you were born. He’s partially deaf, and used to be color blind and near sighted, but he has glasses for that. I’m letting you know in case you were wondering where you got any traits like that (if you have any)._

_Still, Steve was very happy to see you. He held you, and wouldn’t let me hold you until right before you were taken. We both held you, and I watched as Steve fed you; it was touching. I almost wish you could remember what your first hour was like._

_Joe, I want you to know that we loved you and still love you very much. We’ve celebrated your birthday each year, and we still have some of the things from your hospital room. Your siblings know we had you, and are curious to meet you._

_I would love to see you again._

_Bucky (you can call me Dad or Bucky, I don’t mind which one)_

_P.S. What’s this about expecting a baby? I’m too young to be a grandpa!_

He also includes a request for more pictures, and puts his phone number on the bottom of the page.

Steve’s letter says this:

_My little Joey,_

_I apologize if you don’t like the nickname. Just let me know and I’ll just call you Joe._

_Bucky has addressed most of your questions in his letter, but not all. The reason we decided to send two was so that you could see both of our handwriting._

_You asked about your siblings. I’d like to preface this by saying that we never forgot about you, and that you’ve always been in our minds. Our other children were not to replace you, or anything like that. You taught us that we were meant to be together, Joey. You taught us that we wanted to be parents, which sounds horrible, since George made us give you up, but…. You just taught us a lot of life lessons. I’m eternally grateful for you._

_But, onto your siblings. (There will be more pictures this time around, ones with everyone labelled.)_

_We had Elizabeth in 1997, on August 27. Her whole name is Elizabeth Rebecca Barnes, named after your Aunt Rebecca, who died in 1995 of cancer. We found out about her because I was getting very sick, and it worried Bucky. The doctors just straight up told us we were expecting, and it was an emotional time. She’s blonde and has blue-gray eyes like Bucky._

_When Elizabeth was thirteen, she presented as an omega. She’s now 18, and going to school to become a nurse, like your Grandma Sarah._

_We had Sarah Rose, obviously named after my mother, on November 6, 1999. Sarah was planned. We decided to go off our suppressants and try for another baby. We found she was a girl, and I was honestly a little less emotional about it that time. I was kept up at night, wondering what you would think if we had another little boy. I thought, with Elizabeth, we were betraying you, but I realize now that was just hormones._

_Anyway, Sarah is 16, with dark hair and blue-gray eyes. She’s a beta, considering going into medicine, but she also seems hooked on teaching and becoming a world famous engineer, so we aren’t sure what she’ll do._

_We had Robert James on September 2, 2001. He was also planned, and when we found out he was a boy, those feelings I told you about came back, but I’ve been able to accept you both as my sons, and that I’m not replacing you. He recently presented as an omega, as he’s 14 years old. His hair is dark but he was blue eyes. From what we can tell, he seems interested in doing something in the arts field when he’s older._

_And finally, in 2009, we found out I was pregnant again. It didn’t make sense at the time why I got pregnant, as we were both on contraceptives...which I’m realizing isn’t something you needed to know, sorry._

_We had twins on June 26, 2010. Their names are Grace Marie and Christopher Ethan, and they’re five. Gracie wants to be a mermaid astronaut, while Chris wants to be a dog walker. They’re both blonde, but Gracie has my blue eyes while Chris has Bucky’s blue-gray ones._

_They’re all very excited to meet you, and Bucky and I can’t wait to see you again._

_We love you very much,_

_Steve Rogers, aka Papa_

He also puts his phone number on the page, and then helps Bucky find good pictures of everyone to send to him.

That night, after the camera crews leave and their children come back home, Steve pastes himself to Bucky and tries not to cry again.

 

 

 

 

Letters are exchanged back and forth through the host of the television show, often filled with pictures. They allow Elizabeth, Sarah, Robby and the twins to also send a letter to Joey - he likes the nickname, he assures them.

They meet again for the first time in front of a camera, as he lives in nearby Philadelphia, and they introduce Joey to his siblings one by one, also on camera. Elizabeth and Sarah love him on sight, while Robby takes some getting used to. The twins adore him in seconds.

Joey’s girlfriend, a beta by the name of Ellie Grant, is also introduced to them, but they’re not being taped anymore. She listens to the stories they have with the same rapt attention that Joey has.

Steve and Bucky pull her aside to tell her that, while they don’t have claim on Joey anymore, they approve. They also threaten to spoil their first grandbaby, which she rolls her eyes at and says, “I promise I’ll act surprised when you buy him presents.”

Bucky grins at her, playfully nudging her. “You better. Me and Stevie want him to be in shock and awe, huh, Steve?”

Steve grins back and nods.

Ellie slaps a hand over her heart, pretending to swear it in oath. Yeah, they definitely like her.

 

 

 

 

The episode of Long Lost Family isn’t aired until just before Joey’s birthday.

The whole family - his adoptive parents included - is there to watch it when it airs.

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly....I wanna write more in this verse if anyone else is interested in that


End file.
